The New York State Department of State has announced that there is an $11.515 million incentive
awards program to provide grants to entities that achieve cost savings and local service delivery
efficiencies through municipal consolidation or intermunicipal cooperative efforts. Grants will be
awarded in the following grant categories:

These non-competitive grants will be available to eligible municipalities and will cover costs
associated with plans developed for a city or county charter revision that includes the following:
functional consolidation or increased shared services; the village dissolution plan, plans developed
for mergers, consolidations and dissolutions; the sharing of services on a multi-county or regional
basis; and plans for a sustainable reduction in the cost of police, fire and highway services for a
municipality whose per capita cost is in the top 25 percent of comparable municipalities in New
York State.

Funding: State assistance will be provided to successful applicants
in an amount not to exceed $50,000 for costs associated with eligible project activities.

Deadline: Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2010.

For more information, contact: Kyle Wilber, New York State Department
of State, Office of Local Government, Coastal and Community Sustainability, One Commerce Plaza,
10th Floor, Suite 1015, 99 Washington Ave., Albany, NY 12231; or call: 518-473-3355 or e-mail:
LGEprogram@dos.state.ny.us.

Funding: State assistance of $25,000
will be provided for the first two successful applicants, with an additional
$1,000 for each additional participating municipality, up to $35,000.

Deadline: Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2010.

For more information, contact: Kyle Wilber,
New York State Department of State, Office of Local Government, Coastal and
Community Sustainability, One Commerce Plaza, 10th Floor, Suite 1015, 99
Washington Ave., Albany, NY 12231; or call 518-473-3355 or e-mail:
LGEprogram@dos.state.ny.us.

Available to eligible municipalities for costs associated with projects that promote
large-scale, transformative change in municipalities and can be used as living
laboratories for municipal innovation. Projects may include the consolidation of
supporting services for school districts within an area served by BOCES;
consolidation of multiple police forces or multiple fire districts, fire departments
or fire companies; creation of a regional smart growth compact or program;
consolidation of services on a multi-county basis; creation of a regional entity
empowered to provide multiple functions on a countywide or regional basis; or
the creation of a regional or city-county consolidated municipal government.

Funding: State assistance will not exceed
$400,000 per municipality, and award amounts vary by project type. In no case
shall the total award exceed $1 million for costs associated with eligible project
activities.

Deadline: Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2010.

For more information, contact: Kyle Wilber, New
York State Department of State, Office of Local Government, Coastal and Community
Sustainability, One Commerce Plaza, 10th Floor, Suite 1015, 99 Washington Ave.,
Albany, NY 12231; or call 518-473-3355 or e-mail: LGEprogram@dos.state.ny.us.

The International Science and Education (ISE) Competitive Grants Program supports
activities that will improve the capabilities of American colleges and universities to
conduct international collaborative research, extension and teaching. ISE projects are
expected to enhance the international content of curricula; ensure that faculty members
will work beyond the U.S. and bring the knowledge they have acquired back home;
promote international research partnerships; enhance the use and application of foreign
technologies in the U.S.; and further strengthen U.S. colleges and universities to enable
them to better compete on a global scale.

Eligibility: Public, state and private institutions of
higher education.

Funding: A total of $2.9 million is available. Individual
awards are not to exceed $150,000.

Deadline: Thursday, Jan. 28, 2010.

For more information, contact: The International Science
and Education Grants Program at www.nifa.usda.gov/funding/rfas/intl_science.html. Or,
the National Institute of Food and Agriculture at United States Department of Agriculture,
National Institute of Food and Agriculture, 1400 Independence Ave. SW., Stop 2201,
Washington, DC 20250-2201; or call 202-720-4423.

The Center for Mental Health Services is accepting applications for the National Technical
Assistance Center (NTAC) for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Cooperative Agreement.
The purpose of the program is to serve as a resource and training center to increase the
effectiveness of mental health services for children, adolescents, young adults and their
families in states, counties, tribes and territories. The NTAC will provide technical assistance
on systems of care development, implementation, sustainability and related policy issues to
current and previously funded grantees of the Comprehensive Community Mental Health
Services for Children and their Families Program, also known as the Childrenís Mental Health
Initiative (CMHI).

Eligibility: Domestic public and private non-profit entities.
For example, state and local governments; federally recognized American Indian/Alaska Native
tribes and tribal organizations; urban Indian organizations; public or private universities and
colleges; and community- and faith-based organizations may apply.

BJís Charitable Foundation was established with the goal of creating a positive, long-lasting
impact on communities that have a BJís Wholesale Club. The mission of the foundation is to
enhance and enrich community programs that primarily benefit children and families. Since
its first grant in 2005, the foundation has allocated funds on a quarterly basis, giving more
than $7.4 million to over 800 community organizations.

Eligibility: Community organizations that provide services
that help end hunger and support self-sufficiency, health care and education.

Funding: Contact BJís Charitable Foundation for figures.

Deadline: Applications accepted on an ongoing basis.

For more information, contact: BJís Charitable Foundation,
P.O. Box 9614, One Mercer Road, Natick, MA 01760; Or visit its Web site at
www.bjs.com/about/community/charity.shtml.

The Grantsmanship Training Program offers grant-proposal training to nonprofit and
government agencies.

The upcoming classes will be conducted by The Grantsmanship Center and are restricted to
a maximum of 30 participants. The cost is $895, which includes a one-year enrollment in the
Grantsmanship Center Alumni Membership Program. A limited number of half-tuition scholarships
are available to agencies with annual budgets of less than $300,000.

Host: Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oneida County

Location: Oriskany, NY

When: Feb. 8-12, 2010

For more information, to register or to apply for a scholarship, contact The Grantsmanship Center
at 1-800-421-9512, or visit its Web site at www.tgci.com.

The Foundation Center has scheduled the following free training classes during January 2010:

Grantseeking Basics:Jan. 6, 9, 13, 27, 30
Attendees will learn how the Center’s resources can help make them more effective grantseekers.
For beginners, this introduction to the library provides instruction in foundation research and identification
of potential funders. A tour of the library will follow.

Proposal Writing Basics:Jan. 15
Attendees will learn about the basics of writing a proposal for their nonprofit organizations.

How to Approach a Foundation:Jan. 8
Attendees will learn how to initiate contact with potential funders; plan calls and meetings;
and build partnerships with donors. This class is intended for fundraisers with some experience,
though not necessarily with foundations.

In addition:

Classes are held at The Foundation Center, located at: New York Library, 79 Fifth Ave., 2nd
Floor, New York, NY 10003. Space is limited, so register as soon as possible.

For additional training opportunities, to register, or for more information, visitwww.foundationcenter.org,
or call 212-620-4230.